'Shri Ram' welcomes birth of child of his brother 'Lakhan' in Ayodhya

Ayodhya: Barely three days before the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in the holy city, a 'Shri Ram' has welcomed the birth of the first child of his younger brother 'Lakhan' in Ayodhya.

The family from Basti district is overjoyed and has described the birth as a "divine blessing".

"Entire Ayodhya is in a festive spirit, and with Lord Ram's blessings, a Laxmi (girl child) has come to our family. And, my Lakhan has become a father in Prabhu Shri Ram's Ayodhya," 25-year-old Ram told PTI.

The birth took place on Friday evening, coincidentally a day after the new idol of Ram Lalla was placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple here.

"My sister-in-law was admitted to the Ayodhya District Women Hospital starting January 16. The delivery was expected on January 22, the very same day when the pran pratishtha will take place. However, due to some health complications, she was referred to a private facility in Devkali area," Ram said.

And, on Friday morning she was shifted to the new facility where a Cesarian-section was performed on her, he added.

On Thursday evening, PTI visited the Ayodhya District Women Hospital, where beds have been also reserved ahead of the mega ceremony on January 22.

Shri Ram, at times, anxiously paced up and down the corridor outside a ward at this hospital on January 18 evening.

"We brought her to Ayodhya district hospital from our native place in Basti, as the delivery of the child can happen in the next few days, and there would be traffic restrictions in and around Ayodhya on January 22 and two days before it," Ram said on Thursday.

The Pran Pratishtha at the temple will take place soon and "we are excited about that too", he had said.

"We are praying that the baby of my brother gets delivered on January 22 only, which we would take as a divine blessing," Ram earlier said.

Asked what name they have thought out for the baby, he had said, "If it's a boy, we may name him using a combination of the word Ram, as Ayodhya is the birthplace of Bhagwan Ram and is about to celebrate a historic occasion."

On Friday, an elated Ram said, "We have not thought about her name yet, but her birth will be bracketed with Pran Pratishtha of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. She will cherish it all her life, when she grows up."

The Pran Pratishtha at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other dignitaries.

More than 7,000 guests have been invited by the Ram temple trust, including eminent personalities from various fields, and a large number of sadhus and seers from across the country, among others.

Ahead of the mega ceremony, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Ayodhya administration have pulled out all stops, and the holy city has been decked up for the big day.

Beds have been also reserved at the Ayodhya District Hospital (male), Sri Ram Hospital and Dasrath medical college hospital in Ayodhya in view of the ceremony.

A labour room is located in a modern block of the Ayodhya District Women Hospital where currently several pregnant women are admitted.

A senior doctor at the hospital told PTI that a couple of days ago, "three deliveries through Cesarian-section were conducted her."

Shri Ram's brother Lakhan Nisar, 24, was also anxious on Thursday evening, anticipating arrival of his first child.

"She needed blood transfusion which has been done at this hospital," Lakhan had said at the district hospital, in between attending to relatives who visited them.

His elder brother said a doctor at a local hospital in Basti district, located about 80 km from Faizabad town in Ayodhya district, had earlier projected that the due delivery date could be around January 14, but it didn't happen.

"We then took her to another medical facility at Parasrampur in our district, and from there to zillah hospital Ayodhya," said Ram, father of a son.

Parasrampur is located near Makhauda Dham, a historic place associated with the legend of Raja Dashrath, father of Lord Ram.

Shri Ram, who runs a Kirana shop along with his brother for livelihood in a village in Basti, said if delivery happens on January 22, ''Ye Prabhu ki kripa hogi''.

According to the official website of Basti district, "Makhauda Dham is one of the most ancient places of Harraiya tehsil in district where Raja Dashrath performed yagya with the help of Sage Rishyasringa on the advice of Vashistha."

The name of the yagya was Putrakameshti, it says.

As the conclusion of the yagya drew near, Agni sprang out from the yagna kunda (sacrificial fire pit) and handed Dasharath "a pot of kheer advising him to distribute it among his queens," reads the description on the website.

"Kaushalya ate half the kheer, Sumitra ate a quarter of it. Kaikeyi ate some and passed the pot back to Sumitra who consumed the kheer a second time. Thus the princes were conceived after the consumption of the kheer. Since Kaushalya had consumed the largest portion she gave birth to Rama. Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata. Sumitra gave birth to Lakshmana and Shatrughna," it adds.

Epic Ramayana has an inseparable link with India and the lives of its people, and many of them name their newborn after Lord Ram, his wife Sita, and brothers Bharat, Lakshman and Shatrughan.

Ram said he is the second eldest among four siblings, one elder sister, 26, then himself, followed by Lakhan and youngest being a 22-year-old sister.

"I have a son named Abhinandan. It is interesting, huge posters put up in Ayodhya to mark the Pran Pratishtha mention Prabhu Ram ka Abhinandan. I feel blessed being named after Lord Ram," he said.